Q. My home is about 4 years old. I am remodeling my basement and I have some questions about insulation. Since I have been here there has not been any water seepage or leaks. But I had all small cracks in the foundation sealed by professionals anyway to prevent problems. Some neighbors had their basements remodeled and they used plastic vapor barriers on the walls.
I’m confused about this. I read that this is obsolete and in some states it’s already against code because the plastic will trap moisture and encourage mold.
I was going to use an encapsulated insulation with an R rating of 11 that already has the vapor barrier in it. I have a two-stage furnace that will heat and cool the basement. There will be two air returns and five vents in the basement.
A. Start by checking with the local building codes to see if there are specifications for insulation. Opinions vary on whether the insulation should be a porous craft face or a plastic vapor type. Either insulation will work well in a dry basement. Mold will be a problem when there’s excessive moisture no matter what kind of insulation you use.
Tom Newton, of Certainteed Corp., a Valley Forge, Pa.-based company that sells and manufactures building products, said it’s best to use a permeable insulation such as craft face that will allow moisture to come through.
“It should be porous,” he said. Moisture is a fact of life in a basement, and even a furnace produces some moisture, so he recommends using an automatic dehumidifier with a thermostat.
Craig Spoolstra, a field specialist with American National Insulation in Chicago Heights, said either is fine.
“We always use a plastic vapor barrier,” he said. “The only way you’ll have mold is if water is getting into the walls. If the basement is dry, there should never be a problem.”
